


Grim Aria

by Xennariel



Category: Grim Aria, Original Work
Genre: Action, Adventure, Demons, F/M, Fantasy, Fire, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Magic, OCs - Freeform, Original Fiction, Other, Other Worlds, Prologue, Tragedy, Twins, Undead, Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-11-09
Updated: 2018-01-01
Packaged: 2019-01-31 04:56:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 14,548
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12674859
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Xennariel/pseuds/Xennariel
Summary: Xennariel Revenlyr is an Ankhari, a race of demon from a world known as Shadira. After tragedy strikes her people, she feels she has nothing left to live for but vengeance for her family. She decides to dedicate her life to finding and killing Chiron, the Lord of the Chaos Demons and the man that is responsible for her family’s deaths.But he is also hunting for her.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hi there! This is the prologue to a novel I'm publishing as a monthly serialization on Patreon under my pen name Xennariel! Thank you so much for checking this out and I hope you enjoy reading! Comments and constructive criticism are always loved and appreciated.

Dew drops clung to the the foliage of the deep woods, a light mist permeating the air. The early morning breeze was cool and the twin suns had yet to breach the horizon, leaving the hushed forest covered in shadows.

Four small figures moved through the trees, swift and light, the plants under their feet glowing in tones of blue and purple with each step, the trees changing color with each brush past them. The children's soft giggles echoed through the forest as they raced toward a lake at the center. Running at their sides were two young wolves, a white wolf alongside the male child and a silver and blue wolf hugging close to the girl. The wolves playfully nipped and yapped as they ran, enjoying the fresh morning air just as much as the children.

They burst through the treeline and stopped at the banks of the lake to gaze out over the bright turquoise water rippling gently before them. Across the lake, reflected in the calm surface of the water, was a massive willow tree. Its branches were adorned with blue and purple leaves and flowers that flowed elegantly in a wide canopy. The dark trunk twisted like a braid reaching toward the heavens.

"Sheza is beautiful from here," the boy said, eyes bright with a soft smile on his face.

"Mhm… the communion is tomorrow morning," the girl replied, her eyes never leaving the Great Tree of Shadows. "I'll share the secrets with you. Everything we do, we do together."

"What if Mom finds out?"

"She won't."

"Okay… promise?"

The twins gently touched their foreheads together and held hands.

"Promise."

They stood there for a few moments longer, the lake water lapping lazily at their clawed feet, before the girl stepped back toward the forest path and motioned to her brother.

"C'mon, let's go back, Mom's prob'ly already looking for me to start lessons."

They returned to the path to make their way home, but neither were in any hurry.

"I know you'll do a good job with your lessons today, Xen," Xevran said as they walked back through the woods. "Good luck."

"Yeah, thanks. I'll be fine as long as she doesn't make me try portals or guardian magic today," Xennariel responded with a grumble.

Their walk home was filled with silence. The chatter of birds and cadence of their steps over the twigs and leaves on the path were the only sounds to be heard, subtle and calming.

Soon they arrived at their home city, Raizyx. The city around them was filled with the hustle and bustle of everyday life. It was awash in soft lights of blues, silvers, and purples, much like the forest that surrounded it. Raizyx blended in well with the forest, with homes built into large trees, well-worn paths made of stones and leaves, and stone and log buildings standing along the paths. Sheza stood behind it all, like she was watching over everything. From the city, the dark mist spiralling around Sheza's trunk was visible. It seemed to come from the tree herself, and it spread to cover the ground around her and seeped partly into Raizyx before dissipating.

As expected, when the children finally arrived home, their mother was waiting for them, a raven perched on her delicate shoulder regarding them with scorn.

"You are late for your lessons, Xennariel," their mother, Rizel, spoke. The calmness in her demeanor and voice belied the disappointment her children knew she felt. She stood with the city as her backdrop, fair skinned and radiant as always with her hands folded in front of herself, long dark hair tumbling over her shoulders and back in waves. Her sharp, dark eyes focused on the twins in silent admonishment. Ever regal and the picture of serenity, the only signs that she was upset were the look in her eyes and the way her graying feathered wings folded stiffly behind her.

"Xevran, you'll come with me today, as usual," a tall man with long, pale hair said, walking up to them. A large bear was at his side and he scratched her behind the ear absently as they walked. When he stepped up next to the twins, he bent down toward Xevran and, with a wink, added, "And maybe we'll spy on your mother and sister sometime."

Rizel crossed her arms and cocked her head, giving her husband a glare. Rel, the raven on her shoulder, mimicked the expression. "Val…" she said, a note of warning in her voice.

Valran chuckled and put his arms around the twins, giving them a gentle squeeze. His children took after him with their lighter hair, gray-blue skin, and light blue eyes. Even their wings matched his, leathery instead of feathered. Where their mother was bird-like, Rizel's husband and children's features were more reptilian.

How identical the twins appeared despite being fraternal was surprising to everyone who met them. Virtually the only way to distinguish between the two was to notice that Xennariel's right eye was sea-green in color while her left was the same blue as her brother's.

"Fine, fine, we'll keep to ourselves," Val said with a laugh, standing straight again. "Come, Xevran."

Xev turned to his sister, giving her a pitying glance. "Good luck, Xen." He and his white wolf turned and hurried to follow Val and the bear as they sauntered off.

Xennariel frowned and nodded, waving to her brother and father as they left. When they were out of sight, Rizel returned her attention to her daughter.

"Today I want to focus on guardian magic and the activation of portal runes."

Of course she did. Xennariel was convinced it was a punishment for being late again.

"Yes, mother," Xen sighed, resigned to her fate.

With the silver-blue wolf following closely behind, she followed her mother to the place all Guardians from her clan were trained for as long as anyone could remember: a large, foreboding castle isolated on a mountain floating in the sky. Its dark stone spires and steeples stretched into the clouds, casting a shadow over half of Raizyx.

They climbed the wide, winding stone staircase that led to the castle. Xen frowned as she peered over the thick railing at the other children her age, all playing and laughing. Instead of being out in the forest, playing with her brother, Xennariel had to spend her days learning how to strengthen her mind and magical abilities for the day she took over as Guardian in place of her mother. But all ever she wanted to do was spend more time with Xevran.

She sighed at her thoughts and continued on, following Rizel into the castle.

_The Ankhari, known to many of the mortal races as Silence Demons, are one of the five major demon races that exist in the world of Shadira. The other clans live on the four other continents, each ruling over their own continent and each with their own demon lord, or Guardian, of their clan that specializes in a specific type of magic. The five demon lords make up a council that the people of Shadira dubbed The Great Five or simply The Five. Each continent has a Great Tree that the demon lords of the clans commune with. Their hearts and souls bind with the tree at a young age and the environment and condition of each continent is directly bound to the condition of the demon lord's soul. If the demon lord is upset or distressed, the continent they rule will suffer. Plant and animal life will become sick or even die off until the demon lord's soul is healed. If they become sick, the continent becomes sick. This is why only those with strong minds and powers are chosen as Guardians. Xennariel..._

"Xennariel?" Rizel turned to find that her daughter didn't seem to be paying attention. It was nothing new, but the information she had just explained was of vital importance. If Xennariel was going to be the next Guardian of the Ankhari, she needed to keep her heart and mind as strong as possible. The very ground they walked upon depended on it.

"Xennariel, are you even listening to me?"

Xennariel looked up at her name and nodded.

"Yes, mother," Xen responded, sounding as bored as she looked. "But I already know all of this. We start lessons like this every day."

"Because this is important. Your communion with Sheza is tomorrow morning. You will inherit my burden some day as the only Ankhari connected with Sheza until a guardian is chosen after you. This delicate cycle must not be tampered with. The circle must not be broken."

Xennariel worried the inside of her lip and clenched her fists under the large wooden table at which she was seated. Tampering with the cycle meant minor mistakes, such as waiting too long to commune, as well as other, more taboo things, like allowing one who was not a future lord of the clan to bind their soul with the great tree. Sharing the connection, especially with multiple others besides the current guardian and future guardian, could have potentially disastrous results. Xennariel knew that, the knowledge being ingrained in her for practically her entire life, and yet, she was still willing to share the communion with her brother. Xevran deserved to be guardian, far more than she ever would, and she would ignore the possible consequences in favor of the two of them leading their people together. The twins had always felt like they were one soul split into two bodies, so there was no way both of them binding themselves to Sheza at the same time would end badly.

"I know," Xen replied, hoping her mother wouldn't see through her sudden uneasiness.

Rizel looked over her daughter and sighed. "I know you do. Now, let us adjourn to the courtyard." As they walked, Rizel continued to go over important lessons she knew Xennariel needed to constantly be reminded of. "And never forget, Xennariel," Rizel finished just as they reached the door that led to the courtyard. "All life is important. Everything has meaning. Every soul must be honored and treated with respect and kindness. Violence is not the answer. If you remember that, I know you will become a fine guardian."

"Violence is sometimes the answer," Xennariel muttered under her breath so her mother wouldn't hear. The wolf pup at her side whined and bumped his head into her leg. "Quiet you. Mom's not always right."

The day dragged on as Rizel began working with Xennariel on her use of magic. Usually Xen went through her daily lessons with her mother effortlessly. Her magical abilities were exceptional and she never needed to focus too much to accomplish what her mother asked of her. Unfortunately for her, it happened to be the day her mother chose to work on guardian magic and portal magic, the two schools of magic Xennariel could not master no matter how hard she tried. The only thing she seemed to be good at was wielding shadow magic and destroying things. When it came to guardian magic, which included healing and protection, she could never heal more than minor cuts and bruises, and creating a strong protective barrier was out of the question. And despite having memorized all the runes needed to create portals, she could never seem to be able to activate those runes.

Though her mother never said anything, Xennariel would catch the brief look of disappointment in her eyes whenever she failed to create a portal or heal a wound. It was that look that drove her to work harder, but also why she would become even more upset when she continually failed. Xen's thoughts drifted back to Xevran who, in direct contrast to her, could naturally wield powerful guardian magic without much magical training. Together, the twins were unstoppable. It's why sharing leadership of their people made so much sense to them.

By the end of the day, even after so much hard work and effort poured into everything, Rizel and Xennariel went home with nothing to show for it.

Frustrated and tired, Xennariel retreated to the woods again with her brother, gripping Xevran's hand as they ran, their wolf spirit guardians at their sides. They arrived at the other side of the lake outside Raizyx and Xennariel flopped to the ground against a tree, her wolf coming to rest his head in her lap. She clutched the pup to her chest and buried her nose in his fur.

"Why can't I do it?" Xennariel said, voice cracking, muffled by her spirit guardian's fur. "What good is a guardian who can't use guardian magic?"

Xevran sat down next to his sister and leaned against her. "You'll get it one day, Xen, I know you will. I believe in you."

Xennariel sniffed and wiped away her tears, looking up at Xevran. He was always so supportive of her and she didn't know what she would do without him.

"Thanks, Xev. I'm so happy you're with me. We'll always be together, right?"

"Right," Xevran giggled and smiled, tackling his sister, eliciting a laugh from her. She forgot about her worries as they played the rest of the night before returning home to sleep.

\---------

It was still dark when Xennariel awoke on the morning of her communion. With hours before she had to begin getting ready, she groaned and tossed and turned in her hammock, trying to get a little more sleep. It was no use. Throwing back her sheet, she leaned down to Xevran in his hammock below her. Maybe they could get some play time in before she would have to be apart from him all day? She saw that Zyamishka, Xevran's spirit guardian, was awake. One of the pup's eyes cracked open when Xen leaned over her hammock. Zyamishka nuzzled Xevran's hand and the boy stirred, waking slowly and yawning as he reached to pet his spirit guardian.

"Wanna go play by the lake?"

Xevran looked up at Xennariel and grinned.

"Yeah!"

Xennariel flipped down from her hammock with Shakuran, her wolf spirit guardian.

"I'll race ya!"

"I'll win!"

Fits of laughter overtook them as they ran off, jumping over rocks and logs, trying to get ahead of each other with each leap. They crashed into each other when they reached the lake, falling into the cool, shallow water as they came to a stop to catch their breaths. Their smiles were radiant as they splashed each other, their spirit guardians yapping and hopping about them as they played.

After a while, Xennariel's movements became less enthusiastic and her gaze drifted off every so often. Xevran was quick to notice the change in her demeanor.

"Don't be scared, Xen," Xevran said.

"I can't help it. What if I mess up? You'd be a better guardian, Xev. They shoulda picked you. You're nicer and good at healing people and stuff."

"Nuh uh, I'm no good with any magic 'sides guardian magic."

"... I guess."

The suns soon rose almost above the trees and they knew they had to go back. Reluctantly, they trudged out of the lake, making sure to return to Raizyx with plenty of time before the communion. Xen had important things to do that day and they didn't want to be late. They were never scolded by their parents, but that didn't mean they never felt bad about disobeying, like they had the previous day. The communion was one of the most important events that would ever take place in Xennariel's life and the twins made sure to arrive home early. Xennariel and Xevran went their separate ways when they reached Raizyx and wouldn't see each other again until the communion was complete.

In preparation for her communion, Xennariel was required to cleanse herself beneath the waterfall by the lake. The cool, turquoise water was thought to bring peace and clarity to those who meditated beneath it as it cascaded down into Lake Vryn. As Xen sat on a large rock under the fast moving water, she stared across the lake at Sheza, breathing deeply, trying to calm her steadily fraying nerves. The knowledge that everyone in the city would be watching her and judging her in just a few hours weighed heavily on her mind and it took every ounce of effort to focus and meditate.

After the cleansing, she was then dressed in traditional ceremonial garb that included robes of various shades of purple, green, and gray, jangling silver anklets embossed with gemstones, silver earrings along her long, pointed ears, a silver jeweled cuff near the top of her long, leathery tail, and a crown of leaves, flowers, and thorns atop her head that weaved into her long, azure hair. The clothes were surprisingly light and she was able to move better than she had anticipated. The robes were scratchy, but she could probably ignore it if she concentrated hard enough on everything else around her.

Once she was ready, she took a deep breath and stepped out into the bright afternoon. The suns were high, clouds dotting the sky, and birds sang happily in the trees. Xennariel's heart pounded in her chest, her blood rushing through her ears. She clenched and released her clammy hands into fists at her side in a failed attempt to relax, but she was good at pretending. She walked forward confidently, a mask of steel on her face, her dark wings folded regally behind her. Shakuran trotted at her side with his head held high.

_'There she is, the future guardian.'_

_'Isn't she one of the cursed children?'_

_'She's Rizel the Eternal's daughter. I expect we'll see great things from her.'_

_'Lady Rizel wore those robes better, I think.'_

Xennariel could hear the whispers of the people around her as she walked through Raizyx toward Sheza. They weren't being nearly as discreet as they thought. Clenching her jaw, she tried not to react, though her tail swished briefly in agitation.

She would be nine years old in just a few days and the things her people spoke, comparing her to her beautiful, kind, and compassionate mother, were like daggers in her side. Hearing those things at such a young age created wounds that would fester and stay with her for most of her life, especially if she was never able to measure up to her mother one day.

Attempting to block out any further comments from bystanders, Xennariel concentrated on walking, focusing instead on the jingling made by the charms on her anklets with each step forward. She could feel the soft push of Shakuran in her mind, reassuring her and encouraging her to keep moving. If it weren't for him, she would have already fled the ceremony. Catching Xevran and her father's gazes helped too. Their smiles were infectious on any normal day, though all Xen could manage at that moment was a meek upturn of her lips when she walked passed them.

When she finally reached her mother standing at the base of Sheza's massive trunk, Rizel nodded at her, her smile full of warmth, pride visible in her eyes. Xennariel nodded back, absently fidgeting with her robes.

"Xennariel Megari Revenlyr," Rizel spoke, only loud enough that Xennariel and those closest to them could hear. "Future Guardian of Soruzen, Chosen of the Ankhari, come forward and place your hand upon Sheza, Great Tree of Shadows. Focus your spirit and hear her voice."

Xennariel took a deep breath and stepped forward, placing her tiny clawed hand on Sheza's trunk, scattering the mist that seeped from it. She closed her eyes, focusing her energy as her mother instructed. Her heart began to beat erratically in her ears again as her fear of failure bubbled up. She stomped the feeling down and pushed through her unease, refusing to ruin this moment that she had been preparing for her whole life. Her mother had been so proud. She wouldn't let her down. Couldn't.

As Xen concentrated, the noise around her diminished and soon a silver light appeared where her hand met Sheza, gradually growing brighter and stronger. She began to feel a comforting warmth envelop her, slowly drifting further through her body the longer she stood there. In her mind, a soft sound grew louder and she honed in on it, listening intently. It was like pleasant music playing just for her, soothing chimes on the wind echoing in her mind. Whatever worries she felt evaporated as she communed with the great tree, filling her with knowledge, strength, and understanding beyond her years. The energy tingled down her spine with a pleasant warmth that calmed her.

It wasn't nearly as scary as she thought it would be.

Sheza's song eventually tapered off. Xennariel opened her eyes and stepped back, her fears alleviated. Xevran would surely be able to commune just as easily and it felt like a great weight was lifted off her shoulders. It was something she never told him, but Xen had been worried that binding to Sheza would be hard on Xevran. Now that she had done it, she was even more confident in the plan they would put into motion that night when everyone else was asleep.

"Well done, Xennariel."

Xen looked up at her mother's voice to find a loving smile on Rizel's face. Rel, Rizel's raven spirit guardian perched on her shoulder, radiated more warmth and affection than Xennariel had ever felt from him. Xen couldn't help but return the smile, giggling at the sudden happiness and lightness she felt now that the communion was over. Shakuran was overjoyed as well, circling closely around Xennariel's legs and nuzzling against her side, ears perked and tail wagging as he whined.

There were cheers and chants and applause coming from the people around them, but rather than reveling in the attention, Xennariel just wanted to go home and be with her family for the rest of the day. Rizel noticed how uncomfortable Xennariel appeared and she put her arm around Xen's shoulder, pulling her close for a quick hug before leading her home as the crowd slowly scattered behind them.

\------------

It was nearing early morning hours when Xennariel and Xevran snuck out of their home. The only sound was the crunch of their clawed feet on fallen leaves as they made their way through the dark city with only the light of the moons and stars to guide them.

"It was so neat Xen! You were all glowy and I can't get over it!"

Xennariel laughed and nudged her brother.

"I know, Xev, you already told me."

"Well I'm gonna be talking about it forever, I think. You think it'll be that easy for me too?"

"I bet. All ya have to do is concentrate on your powers, focus on Sheza, and listen."

Xevran nodded and the two of them approached Sheza, her leaves and flowers glowing in the night. The mist pooled around their feet as they stood there, looking up into Sheza's canopy. It looked like the night sky, dark and twinkling with stars. It was mesmerizing.

Xevran slowly lifted his hand and placed it hesitantly on the trunk before him. He closed his eyes, focused his power, and waited. Xennariel stood next to him, nodding and smiling. This was it. They were going to be tied to Sheza together forever.

Except nothing happened.

A long silence stretched before them before Xevran frowned and opened his eyes again.

"Nothing's happening."

Xennariel's ears drooped, her look of disappointment matching his.

"You can't hear anything? No song?"

Xevran shook his head and Xennariel huffed. It wasn't fair. It had to work.

"Let's try again. Together."

"Okay."

The twins put their hands onto the trunk at the same time and concentrated with all their might on the tree before them, their spirit guardians even joining in, placing their paws at the base of the trunk.

This time, the effect was almost immediate. Light engulfed the twins and their spirit guardians, the dark mist swirling about as a breeze kicked up around them.

Xevran grit his teeth. Sheza's musical voice reverberating in his mind was quiet, but it was somehow painful. It was almost too much to take and before long, he had to let go of the tree and catch his breath. The music gradually faded and he was filled with a sense of power that hadn't been there before. Zyamishka felt it too, just as Shakuran had when Xennariel communed, and she leaned against Xevran's legs as Sheza's song subsided. They had connected with Sheza, but their strength had been exhausted. All the training Xennariel had undergone must have prepared her for her communion because it had been so much easier for her.

"Xev! Are you okay?!" Xennariel leapt to her brother's side and gripped his shoulders. She was shaking, frantic and confused about his reaction to the communion.

Xevran smiled weakly at his sister and nodded.

"Yeah, I'm just really sleepy now."

"That didn't happen to me. I was fine after when I did it. Maybe something went wrong?"

"Nah, it was kind of quiet, but I heard Sheza's song that time. I feel a little different too. Lighter. Stronger."

Xennariel nodded. That sounded right. It was how she felt too. But Sheza's song had been loud in her head, not quiet.

"She wasn't quiet for me…" Xen looked back to Sheza in thought. "Maybe… Oh, I don't know! Maybe she connected to you through me?"

Xevran thought about it for a moment and nodded.

"Yeah, maybe. I thought I heard your voice too for a moment. It was strange."

"Well at least it worked! Let's go home and go to sleep. Maybe you'll feel better tomorrow."

Xevran nodded. Xennariel helped him stand and he leaned heavily against her side as they walked home at a slow pace.

\-------------

Xennariel woke early the next morning despite getting to sleep so late. She hung from her hammock with a huge grin to face Xevran upside down. She wanted to play before her lessons that morning, as always, but Xev was sleeping deep and peacefully. He must have been tired from their struggle to bind him with Sheza and Xen didn't want to wake him, so she jumped from her hammock and crept out of their room and into the predawn darkness alone with Shakuran. Neither Xev nor Zyamishka heard her leave.

The morning air was crisp as Xennariel and Shakuran ventured to their favorite spot on the other side of the lake. She flopped onto her back at the shores of the lake, staring at the steadily brightening sky peaking through the canopy of the trees. The tranquility of the forest was calming. Water lapping gently at the shore, a soft breeze rustling the leaves on the trees, birds singing around her. It all brought her peace as she lay sprawled out amongst fallen leaves and flowers.

A pillar of fire exploded from behind Sheza and Xennariel leapt to her feet, eyes wide.

"Xennariel! Xennariel!"

Xevran's panicked cries came from behind her and she turned to find her brother and Zyamishka running toward her, out of breath, eyes full of fear. Something was terribly wrong and she could feel the tension on the air. She gripped Shakuran's fur to ground herself before fear took over, moving to meet Xevran on the forest path.

"Xev, what was that? What's going on?"

"It's Mom and Dad!" Xevran replied in a huff, trying to explain as quickly as he could. He was pale and breathing heavily and it took him a few moments to catch his breath before he could speak again. When he did, it came out rushed and Xen almost didn't understand him. "Mom's friend from the Drashu clan came to visit, but then he went somewhere with Mom and his men just attacked Dad for no reason! And, and then when others tried to stop him, his men attacked them too! I ran away to find you. We have to stop them!"

"What?!" Xennariel gasped. "Why would they do that?"

"I dunno, but Dad's in trouble."

"C'mon, let's go!"

Xennariel and Xevran ran faster than they ever had toward their home, Shakuran and Zyamishka at their heels.

The Drashu were known as Chaos Demons to the humans and other mortal races of Shadira for good reason. They specialized in fire magic and out of all the demon clans, they were the ones to cause the most problems. But Chiron, their lord, had been good friends with Rizel for many, many years. Like many of the Drashu guardians before him, he was kind and easygoing. For him to suddenly attack them was confusing to Xennariel and Xevran, but they would defend their family and their people against anyone who threatened them, no matter who it was.

The chaos echoing from Raizyx became louder the closer the twins came. Screams and the scent of smoke were carried on the breeze, filtering throughout the forest. As the twins entered the city, they gasped at the sight that greeted them, moving closer together to grip each other's hands tightly. Shakuran and Zyamishka pushed against the children's legs, shivering and whining.

The fire burned with the fury of a thousand dragons. It surrounded them and the billowing, black smoke blocked out the sky. The Ankhari people both fought and ran in the streets, evacuating their homes or trying to stop the Drashu that were attacking them. But with Rizel nowhere in sight and so many people passed out on the ground from the smoke, they were fighting a losing battle.

Xennariel gripped her brother's hand tightly and glared, turning to her brother with determination in her eyes.

"C'mon Xev, we have to help."

"Let's do it."

Xevran raised his hands toward the sky and brought them down swiftly again, a nearly invisible barrier forming around himself and Xennariel as he did so. Xennariel leapt forward, pulling her arms back to create a ball of shadows surrounded by crackling blue light between her hands. Once the ball was formed, she shoved her arms forward, shooting the ball at one of the Drashu attackers. He fell as the ball of shadows hit him. Not waiting to see if he would stay down, Xennariel spun and shot her shadow magic at every Chaos Demon she could see.

The attackers finally noticed the twins and threw balls of fire at them in an attempt to stop them, but Xevran's barrier prevented the fire magic from even touching them. So long as they were together, there was no way anything could hurt them.

That was when Xevran caught sight of his father just as Val was struck with an arrow made of fire. Xevran called out to his father, but his voice barely sounded over the battle raging around them. He reached for Xennariel's shoulder, grabbing her attention as he pointed frantically toward where their father fell. Xennariel caught on quickly, but had no time to despair.

"Go help Dad!" she yelled as she shot out another wave of shadow magic in a seemingly futile attempt to thwart their attackers.

"Will you be okay!?"

"Yeah! Go!"

The twins made eye contact and nodded in silent resolution before Xevran ran off to try to protect their father.

Alone, Xennariel had to be careful. She was powerful, but without her brother next to her, his barrier was not as strong. It dwindled and flickered the further away Xevran was. Just as the barrier began running out, a wave of fire came barreling at her. Unable to dodge it fast enough, Xennariel waited for it to strike her.

But it never came. Something jet black screamed past her in the air, nothing but a blur of feathers to her as it hit the wave of fire and redirected it. Xennariel smiled once she realized what it was.

"Mom!"

Rizel stepped forward, her spirit guardian swooping back toward her. He landed on her shoulder and shook his smouldering feathers.

"Stand back, Xennnariel." Rizel said as she ran past her daughter. "Get someplace safe!" Rizel lifted her arm and pointed at the Drashu that had attacked Xennariel. "Go, Rel!"

Rel lifted off swiftly from her arm, a blur of feathers again as he transformed into an arrow, weaving and whistling as he struck the Chaos Demons. He swooped back to Rizel and became a staff as she reached for him, purple lightning crackling from a gem at the top.

Xennariel stared in awe at her mother. She had never seen her fight before. So this was the power of a guardian. Possessing the ability to transform her spirit guardian into any kind of weapon. She wondered when she would be able to do such a thing. It seemed like an impossible feat.

Seeing her mother fighting so hard filled her with more determination and Xennariel stood, prepared to continue fighting alongside her. Ignoring Rizel's warning, she ran toward her, only to stop after a few strides. Xevran's barrier shattered like broken glass around her. Crying out, she fell to her knees, gritting her teeth as her hands clenched at her chest. Her vision swam, ears ringing, the sounds of fighting drowning out. Shakuran fell at her side, panting heavily. It was strange, he shouldn't have been feeling the same pain, and yet he lay at her side, yowling in obvious distress.

Xennariel looked around for any sign of what could be causing her such torment and her eyes landed on her father and brother, both on the ground a ways away, unmoving, blood pooling around them, seeping into the dirt. Her eyes widened at the sight. She gasped and clutched at her chest with one hand, the other reaching for Xevran.

"Xev?" she breathed, voice quivering.

The wind tousled his hair, smoke and debris falling over him, yet he remained unmoving. Xennariel realized it then, like a firestorm exploding in her chest. Xevran was gone and she felt his death as if it had been her own. Like a piece of her soul had been torn from her. She cried out and continued to reach for him, unable to find the strength move as her world came crashing down around her.

She was so distracted, she hadn't even seen the man with long, bright red hair approach her. Her mother's oldest friend, Chiron, lord of the Chaos Demons, stood towering above her. His black horns curled up from his temples, red and black armor reflecting the fire from the burning city around them. He and his dragon spirit guardian cast shadows over her and Xennariel still did not move, still did not see them. A cruel smile split Chiron's face. He reached out and his spirit guardian became a flaming sword in his hand. He lifted the blade, a terrible glint in his blood red eyes as he glared at Xennariel.

"Your existence is a mistake," Chiron spat, his voice a heavy baritone. "You too shall die now."

The flaming sword came whistling down toward Xennariel, but it never struck her. Something warm and wet hit her face and she slowly turned to see her mother above her, impaled on Chiron's sword through her chest. Xennariel's eyes grew even wider with a sharp inhalation. It felt as if time slowed down around her. Rizel fell to the ground and Xennariel reached out, her tiny hands pressing into the seeping wound in her mother's chest. Rel fell on the ground next to Rizel. He was fading, his form shimmering in the firelight. Rizel rested her hand on his soft back, the other coming to grasp Xennariel's hand weakly.

Next to them, Chiron dropped the sword and it returned to the form of his dragon spirit guardian. He gripped his head in his hands, shaking his head as he slowly stepped back from Rizel and Xennariel.

"No...Rizel. Not Rizel. No. Why?"

His rambling was barely audible to Rizel and Xennariel. They no longer acknowledged his presence as Rizel lay dying.

"M… Mother…"

"It's… all right… my darling." Rizel's voice was a whisper as she lifted her hand to touch Xennariel's cheek. "You must… run away. You are the guardian of the Ankhari now. They need you. Get away and survive... so you can protect them."

Xennariel shook her head and her voice broke when she responded.

"No, I can't… I… I don't know how."

"You can. I… believe in… you."

A purple light emitted from Rizel's fingertips resting against Xennariel's right cheek. Her green eye lit up in a flash of purple, an intricate magic circle appearing inside her pupil for mere seconds before the light faded and the symbol disappeared. Rizel's hand fell limply to the ground and Xennariel shook her head.

"Mo… Mother?" Xennariel stared into Rizel's lifeless eyes and shook her shoulder. "Mother?"

Chiron was upon her again, shaking with barely contained rage.

"You! You brat! This is your fault! You should never have been born!"

Chiron lifted his sword again with a furious roar. Xennariel still stared at her mother, as if she were in a trance, ignoring Chiron. Her tears fell at last, streaming down her face, stinging the cuts on her cheeks. She lifted her shaking hands covered in her mother's blood and her eyes drifted from her hands to the broken bodies of her brother and father. A sob escaped her lips.

Unable to control her emotions any longer, she raised her face to the sky and screamed. An explosion of magical energy burst from her body as she cried, killing everything within the Central Continent of Shadira.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I've decided that I will be posting the first three chapters of my novel here instead of just the prologue. Enjoy! Feedback is always loved and appreciated!

The crisp night air brought in a chill from the North and Xennariel tightened her cloak around her shoulders. Thunder rolled in the distance, getting closer with every crash. The trees around her swayed in the howling wind and strands of her long azure hair flew about, becoming a tangled mess. She lifted the hood of her cloak over her head and struggled to tuck her hair under it. 

A little more time. Just a little more time was all she needed. The weather had changed unexpectedly as soon as she began her hunt, but she wasn’t going to let it stop her from catching the shadow demon she was tracking. 

How exactly these lesser demons were getting into this world was a mystery she very much wanted to solve. If she could find out where they were getting into this world from…

Thunder boomed again, this time much closer, just as Xennariel caught up to the shadow demon she’d been hunting. It was an ugly thing, floating horizontally off the ground with no visible legs, just dark mist dripping from its elongated torso. It appeared to be made entirely of dark smoke, its outstretched, spindly arms the only truly solid thing about it. Where its face should have been was shrouded, its eye sockets hollow, mouth full of jagged, razor like teeth. Xennariel could make out the trees through its body. The shadow demon would be hard to spot to anyone that didn’t know what to look for.

“Go, Shakuran,” Xennariel muttered.

The wolf at her side took off in a blur of silver and blue. He rounded about the shadow demon to trap it between him and Xennariel, who swiftly dashed forward when it tried to flee, corralling it back toward Shakuran. Shakuran snarled and snapped at the lesser demon and it reared back, mouth opening to let out a high pitched screech, its jagged jaws dripping with dark mist and saliva. Xennariel and Shakuran closed the gap between them until the shadow demon had nowhere to run. Xennariel conjured a ball of shadows in her hand that crackled with blue and purple lightning. She threw it at the demon and it fell with a howl to the ground, writhing and twisting in pain. 

Xennariel smirked at the shadow demon, standing over it and placing her hands at either side of the demon’s body. She slowly dragged her hands apart, eliciting an even louder scream from it as she tore away its life energy. After a brief flash of light, the shadow demon disappeared in a puff of smoke. Xennariel held its life energy in her hand, a ball of dark mist floating inches above her palm. Tossing it in the air, she leaned her head back and opened her mouth to devour it, taking a deep breath and licking her lips. It was the first soul she’d eaten in years and she could already feel herself growing stronger again. She didn’t know how demons from her world were suddenly finding their way to the one she was currently stuck in, but it was working out in her favor.

“Well, that’s taken care of. Let’s go back, Shaku. I’m tired.”

They trudged back to the house just as it started to rain. Xennariel slipped in through the side door with Shakuran right behind her. Once inside, Xen removed her cloak, hanging it on the coat rack to dry. Shakuran shook, spraying water all over the entryway and Xennariel glared at him. He brushed past her, ignoring her scowl, and ascended the stairs.

“Rude, Shaku,” Xen grumbled. 

Taking her shoes off, she followed him up the stairs to dry off and get some much needed sleep.

\-------

Xennariel groaned and yawned, groggily sitting up in her bed. She threw back the covers and swung her legs over the side, feet landing on the plush rug covering the wooden floor of her room. She wriggled her toes and rubbed her eyes, trying to wake herself up. Shakuran lay at the foot of her bed and cocked an ear, one eye opening to watch Xennariel stand and stumble toward the bathroom to get ready for the day.

Warily, she stared at herself in the mirror while she brushed her teeth. She looked terrible. The young woman who stared back had bags under her eyes, matted hair, and pasty skin. The current shabby appearance of her human form was a testament to how terribly she had slept. She dreamt of her past again. It had been a while since that memory manifested itself in her nightmares, but when it did, it always made for a restless night. 

Sighing, she spat out a mouthful of toothpaste, rinsed out her mouth, and began attempting to remove the tangles from her hair. It had gotten long, now falling almost to her waist. When she finally managed to free her hair of all knots, she put a blue contact into her right eye, then looked herself over in the mirror once more. She reached up to the black, leather choker around her neck with a large silver hoop dangling from it. A silver chain was connected to the hoop, winding its way around her shoulders and back. Her hand fell from her neck to the chain, tugging at it a bit. It was impossible to remove, enchanted as it was, but it never stopped her from fidgeting with it anyway. Sighing, she dropped her hand back to her side, nodded in satisfaction at her appearance, and left the bathroom to change out of her pajama shirt. 

Shakuran was awake when she walked back out into her room. He stood and stretched before stepping down off the bed without even needing to jump. He had grown so much since they woke up in this world eight years ago, yet Xennariel had barely grown at all. Despite being seventeen years old, she wasn’t much taller than she had been as a kid. It was something that annoyed her and she wished she knew what had stunted her growth. She had her guesses, but none of it explained why Shakuran still grew up normally.

“Well Shaku, I’m off,” Xennariel said with a yawn, scratching the wolf behind his ears as she walked past him. 

Her bedroom was located on the third floor of a log home. The upper floors were used as living space for the family she was staying with and the bottom floor was a cafe and coffee shop run by said family. The couple that had found her all those years ago had a son who was older than her and they all had rooms on the second floor. When Xennariel came to stay with them, they gave her the attic space, fixing it up with a bathroom, window seat, and French windows that opened up to a rooftop deck. It was a nice setup and Xennariel was certainly not complaining about having a roof over her head and a comfortable place to sleep. The rustic and nature inspired atmosphere of the house, as well as the fact that it backed up to a dense forest, made her feel at home, which was a definite bonus. 

She shuffled down the stairs to the door that lead to the second floor from her room, opening the door and stepping out into the dim hallway. It seemed her adoptive brother wasn’t awake yet. Typical. They needed to open the cafe in less than half an hour, but he was still off in dreamland, probably expecting Xennariel to do everything, as usual. 

Xennariel descended the staircase to the main floor and flicked on the lights. The main entry to the living portion of the house was across from the stairs and she meandered through the foyer toward the kitchen when a muffled thump on the other side of the door caught her attention. Furrowing her brow, she crept to the front door and listened. The sound came again so she unlocked the bolts and flung the door open only to have a blond man fall over the threshold and almost land on top of her.

“Ow,” the man yelped, rubbing his head as he stood up again. “Oh, so you are home. Thanks for finally letting me in.”

Xennariel gaped at her adoptive brother, Jesse Rousseau. His blond hair was mussed, his clothes wrinkled, and, judging from the bags under his green eyes, he must have slept terribly. He shouldn’t have been outside at this hour. She thought he had been asleep in his room upstairs.

“What the hell? You weren’t even home?”

“Met this chick last night and she invited me to her place and well, ya know, I just stayed there. She was hot.”

Xennariel sighed and leaned on the banister behind her, covering her face with her hands. Of course he was with a pretty girl. He could never resist chasing tail. It was infuriating, especially when she was left to do everything by herself. His parents were off touring Europe for his mom’s modeling career and he was supposed to be in charge of the cafe. But every day, he’d go off with some girl or his friends and leave the running of Blue Rain to Xennariel and the small staff that worked for them. She could handle it. That wasn’t the problem. The issue was that she had so many more important things that she needed to be doing.

“Well good,” Xennariel huffed, putting her hands on her hips. “You’re home and awake so you can actually help me with the cafe today.”

“Aw, c’mon Maggie,” Jesse groaned, using the name Xennariel had given when his family first found her. When they asked her name, she had given her middle name, Megari, out of caution. They misheard her, but she never bothered correcting them. “Cut me some slack.”

“Cut you some slack? You never do anything! You’re the adult here. Ya know, the one that’s supposed to be in charge? You’re so lazy. Just do your job.” 

“I don’t need a little brat like you telling me what to do.” Xennariel kicked him in the shin for his jab at her height and he doubled over to hold his leg. “Ow, hey!”

“I wouldn’t have to tell you what to do if you wouldn’t shirk your duties.” 

She turned and stomped off to the kitchen to resume her morning preparations. The swinging door that led to the cafe from the kitchen flew open as she stormed through. 

It was always surreal to see the cafe so quiet. The lingering scent of coffee hung in the air. With the curtains drawn, only a meager amount of sunlight filtered in, casting streaks of light over the booths and tables stacked with chairs. The steady hum of the ice cream and soda machines behind the bar were the only sounds to be heard other than the door flapping behind Xennariel. It was peaceful and she wished she wouldn’t have to ruin it by dealing with customers all day. 

Xennariel unlocked the entrance to the cafe and opened all the windows to let in as much natural light and fresh air as possible. Blue Rain was notorious for getting stuffy when it got busy. Just as she turned her back on the door to start pulling chairs off of tables, the door opened. It jingled as it hit the little bell hanging above it, grabbing Xennariel’s attention. 

“Maggie!” A girl with short blonde hair pranced into the cafe, her blue eyes bright and focused on Xennariel. “Good morning!”

Xennariel breathed a short sigh of relief. Leave it to Amy to show up early on a Saturday to help set things up even though she wasn’t scheduled until later. She and Amy became friends a year or so after Xen was adopted by the Rousseau’s. They were the same age and met in school. Amy was sad when Xennariel ended up testing out of high school, but Xen wanted to focus on getting back to Shadira rather than wasting her time with unnecessary human schooling. When Amy came looking for a part time job last year, she was hired right away for her spunk and enthusiasm and Xennariel was grateful she would have someone to talk to while working. It made the work days pass a little faster.

“Hey, Amy. Mind helping me out with setting up the tables?”

“Sure! Let me just put my stuff down.” 

The multicolored bracelets adorning her arms clinked and jingled as Amy practically skipped over to the long bar at the far end of the cafe. A piece of the wall was cut out behind it connecting to the kitchen and Amy tossed her purse through the hole. It landed with a thud near the dining table Xennariel and her adoptive family used for personal meals. Grabbing an apron from behind the counter, Amy wrapped it around herself and got to work helping Xennariel pull chairs off the tables.

“Zak’s coming in today right?” Xennariel asked as they set the tables with silverware and glasses.

“Mmhmm, should be here soonish, I think.”

Zak was the part time cook for the cafe and had come in with Amy to apply a year prior. It was an easy job for him to handle while he went to college a few towns away and he just so happened to be a fantastic cook. The three friends were the ones that ran the cafe while Jesse was off galavanting around town.

The two finished setting up the cafe just in time to open. Blue Rain was a favorite spot for the locals and, as expected, morning regulars showed up just as Xennariel flicked on the ‘open’ sign. 

Zak showed up half an hour late with profuse apologies, his jeans covered in ink stains and his brown hair looking as if he hadn’t combed it that morning. 

“Dad messed up the computer systems at the shop again,” Zak sighed. “It took a while for me figure out what was wrong and get things up and running.” 

He donned an apron and got to work in the kitchen right away. They were lucky no one had ordered any food yet. Just coffee. Lots of coffee. It was actually what Blue Rain was known for, even with a menu full of delicious food options. 

In such a small town, everyone seemed to know everyone and familiar faces trickled in throughout the day. It was just another boring Saturday until a small group of tourists walked in. A blonde teen immediately caught Amy’s eye and she spent the rest of the day talking to him as often as she could.

Zak noticed Amy chatting with the boys at the booth in the corner and he sighed, his brown eyes staring off in distant longing. Xennariel caught Zak staring at Amy and wondered when Amy would ever notice his feelings for her or find a boyfriend she could actually stick with for more than a week. Xen was rooting for the former, but with Amy, who she dated seemed to be completely random and based entirely on sudden puppy love on her part. She fell in love hard and fast and was always broken hearted when she eventually realized how superficial the relationships actually were. Zak sighed and turned to get back to work.

Closing time came around after what seemed like forever. Xenariel bid her friends good night after declining their invitation to hang out, claiming she was too tired. She trudged up the stairs to her room, noting that Jesse wasn’t home again as she passed the dark hall. That slacker would get an earful the next time she saw him. His parents were such nice people and how they managed to raise such a jerk was lost on Xennariel.

She reached the door to the refurbished attic and opened it, climbing the stairs into her room after locking the door behind her. It had been a long day, but she had an even longer night ahead of her.

Just because she was trapped in a world run by humans didn’t mean she wanted to be. When she wasn’t blending in, she was researching ways to return to Shadira, her world. The place she belonged. Things like walking around in a human form, refraining from using magic in the presence of others, and keeping Shakuran out of sight, were getting tiring. Drawing suspicion was the last thing she wanted though, so she went about her days pretending to be human and used her nights to try to find a portal that would take her home. It was a shame she never did master that form of magic. She would have gone home years ago if she was able to activate portal runes.

Shakuran greeted her as she reached the top of the steps. She rubbed his head and he pushed close to her, enjoying getting his ears scratched. She snagged a book from out of a drawer in her night table and scanned the runed cover to make sure it was the one she wanted. Opening the French windows, she stepped onto the cushioned window seat, careful not to knock any pillows off, and climbed out onto the rooftop deck with Shakuran right behind her. Two plush armchairs sat under an awning stretching out from above her windows. She dragged one of them over to the edge of the deck so she could sit and look out over the backyard while she read, into the darkening forest beyond. It was relaxing to simply sit out on that deck, the sounds of birds and crickets filling the air, the sun slowly dipping below the horizon, making way for the moon and stars to dot the sky above her. 

If she closed her eyes, it almost felt like she was home.

Movement just inside the line of trees before her caught Xennariel’s attention and she leaned forward a bit, eyes narrowing as she watched and waited to catch sight of whatever it was. Shakuran’s ears perked and he too moved to look in the direction of Xennariel’s gaze, his body tense, eyes alert. A low growl reached their ears and a shadowy figure darted past their line of vision. They sprang to their feet, Xennariel leaping to the ledge of the rail that surrounded the deck, crouching for a moment before leaping off the roof. She landed gracefully on her feet and darted at an inhuman pace toward the forest. Shakuran followed her a moment later and they disappeared into the treeline.

\------

It was a lovely, cool evening for a jog, yet Loki’s loose t-shirt still clung to the sweat on his back. He had been running for over three miles already. It was inevitable that he’d work up a sweat. That didn’t mean it was any less uncomfortable. 

Pausing to wipe his brow with the sweatband on his wrist, he quickly resumed his nightly jog, passing all the familiar homes and streets on his path. As he neared the end of his route, he paused for a moment again to pull his too-long dark hair into a tighter ponytail, glancing at the forest several paces away. It must have been something in the air that night, but after taking a swig from the water bottle clipped to his sweatpants, he decided to press on. Another few minutes of running before heading home couldn’t hurt. It was a beautiful night and it felt like a shame not to enjoy it a little longer.

Loki continued jogging down the path into the forest. With the sun almost gone from the sky he couldn’t spend too much longer in the woods or he would never be able to see to get back, but the night’s breeze pulled him in, pushed him forward. He breathed in the refreshing air, the scent of pine and cedar filling his nose. It always felt good to be out of the house for any amount of time, but nights like these were what he lived for. If he was lucky, maybe he would even stumble upon some kind of paranormal activity. It seemed like the kind of night for that sort of thing.

The forest ahead of him lit up, suddenly. What appeared to be purple and blue lightning flashed through the trees and vanished just as soon as it appeared. Loki stopped in his tracks and blinked. His staying out late had actually payed off. There really was some kind of strange thing going on in the woods that night. He grinned and took off toward where he saw the lightning, hoping he wasn’t too late to catch sight of whatever it was that caused it.

What he stumbled upon was unexpected to say the least. 

A girl stood over a cloud of smoke on the ground. She was small, but even in the dim light Loki could tell she wasn’t a child. Her eyes glowed blue in the twilight, the right more dimly than the left. Her long hair, azure from what he could make out, flowed and billowed out around her, like the smoke pooling at her feet. She wore a silver sleeveless trench coat that buttoned in an almost oriental style in the front, the inside of which was a deep purple. Loki had never seen a style quite like it. A teal turtleneck stuck out from the coat’s scooping neckline and a choker with a chain attached to it rested over the turtleneck’s collar. Black pants and shoes completed her ensemble with black fingerless gloves adorning her hands. 

The chain around her shoulders was an odd thing for a person to wear and it drew Loki’s attention, the light glimmering off the silver metal as the girl cast her magic. Why would she wear something like that? Wasn’t it uncomfortable? At her side was a large canine looking animal. He would have called it a wolf if its fur had been normal colors, but it was blue and silver, like the girl, and Loki wondered if his eyes were just playing tricks on him.

It was then that Loki noticed the smoke on the ground was moving erratically and wasn’t smoke at all, but some kind of creature. It screeched as the girl ripped something out of it, the sound so loud and grating Loki needed to cover his ears. He cringed and moments later it was abruptly cut off, the creature evaporating in a puff of mist and smoke.

The girl then proceeded to eat whatever it was she pulled out of the thing in one gulp, a satisfied grin on her face.

Loki took an involuntary step back.

The sound of leaves and twigs crunching under Loki’s feet alerted Xennariel and Shakuran to his presence and he gulped as they turned to face him. His violet eyes met her glowing blue and he faltered, unsure of what to say or how to proceed.

Xennariel mentally cursed herself for not noticing a human watching her until it was too late. Lying her way out of this one would be impossible.

“You’re not human,” was all Loki could lamely manage to say. She certainly looked human, but no human could use magic like she had. 

Xennariel smirked.

“Gee, what gave that away?” She noted his expression and her grin turned wicked. “Am I scary?” Loki’s eyes widened as she smiled back at him, head cocked slightly to the side. It was creepy and he shivered.

“I'd be lying if I said I wasn't nervous at all...” he muttered. Taking a deep breath, Loki composed himself as best he could and cleared his throat. He was treading on thin ice, but nerves alone weren’t enough to make him turn tail and run. There was an opportunity here and was going to take it. “Wouldn’t you try to keep that a secret, though? You were making quite the scene out here. I saw your magic or whatever it was all the way back at the entrance to the woods. Not a very effective way to keep people from noticing you.”

Shakuran let out a soft growl and Xennariel narrowed her eyes, practically growling herself. Any trace of humor was gone from her features.

“I could kill you where you stand.”

“But you won’t, right? That’s why you’re hunting those things instead of people, isn’t it?”

Loki was gambling with fate by bantering with, well, whatever she was. But meeting her could prove to be to his benefit. He had always wanted to be a part of the supernatural world. His father had books on the paranormal, magic texts that Loki couldn’t make heads or tails of when he was younger. It was fascinating and he wanted in on all of it. This girl could potentially offer him that. If he played his cards right...

Xennariel huffed and put her hands on her hips.

“Listen, if you so much as hint to anyone of what you’ve seen tonight--”

“I won’t,” Loki interrupted, his voice shaking with a tinge of fear and excitement. “As long as you let me go with you on these little adventures of yours.”

Xennariel blinked and furrowed her brow, wondering what exactly this human was thinking. Blackmailing a demon? Did he have no sense?

“Why would I possibly want to negotiate with you?”

“Because I can help you. I have connections, particularly with the military and law enforcement and research facilities across the country. If you want to hunt creatures like that smoke monster or whatever it was, it could make things easier. Not having to hide or worry about trouble with the law is pretty convenient.”

Loki was getting excited. Was he really doing this? Could he really pull this off? He wasn’t positive, but he sure as hell would try. Hopefully she wouldn’t kill him.

“How the hell could you have connections like that?”

“Well, it’s through my father, but they know me and trust me, no one wants to upset my father, so people will do whatever I say.”

Xennariel stared at him with a skeptical look and sighed. If that really was true, she could have access to areas where portals might be open. Access to information that could help her discover where these other demons were coming from. He might have been bluffing, but he very well might have been telling the truth. If the latter was true, could she really afford not to take him up on his offer? If it turned out that he was lying to her, she would kill him and no one would be the wiser. What did she have to lose?

“All right, all right, fine. I accept your deal. I do this,” Xennariel waved around her and at the ground where the shadow demon had disappeared, “whenever I happen to spot a shadow demon lurking about or whenever I hear about strange things in the area, which happens somewhat often.”

“Shadow demon? Is that what that thing is called?”

“Yeah. It comes from another world, as do most other ‘supernatural things,’ as you humans call it. That’s all you need to know.”

“I see… so, uh, where do I meet you when I want to join you?”

Xennariel huffed, blowing her bangs out of her eyes. She didn’t really want to tell him where she lived, but she didn’t have much of a choice at that moment.

“The Blue Rain Cafe, you know where that is?”

“Sure, I’ve seen it before.”

“Meet me there whenever, I guess. More often than not, I’ll be there.”

“Okay, but… why would you be in a place like that? Hiding out, or...?” Xennariel shot him a murderous glance and he raised his hands in a placating gesture. “All right, uh, until next time, then.”

Loki nodded at Xennariel, sent a wary glance toward Shakuran, and jogged off the way he had come, silently hoping the girl wouldn’t change her mind and send that huge dog of hers after him.


	3. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome to chapter 2! This is the final chapter that I'll be releasing for free, so if you've enjoyed this story, you can read the rest of it as a monthly serialization on my Patreon under the same penname I have here! =) Thank you so much for reading and I hope you enjoy! This is one of my favorite chapters and I hope you like it too.

**_Chapter 2_ **

 

“The nerve of that guy!” Xennariel fumed in her room the next morning to an equally annoyed Shakuran as she got ready for the day. “Blackmailing me like that. Who does he think he is?”

 

Shakuran grumbled in response, agreeing that the man they met in the woods was an ass. He pressed into her mind to tell her such, using their form of silent communication, something unique to all higher demons and their spirit guardians. 

 

“Yes, yes he was.” Xennariel laughed. “It’s okay. We’ll use him to help us get back home and we’ll never have to see him ever again.”

 

The sound of a door opening and closing downstairs made them both look toward the stairway leading to the door to her room. Jesse must have been home. Xennariel finished getting dressed and went down to give Jesse a piece of her mind while Shakuran remained upstairs. 

 

Only it wasn’t Jesse that greeted her at the side entrance to the house. Amy and Zak stood in the foyer. Amy waved when she saw Xennariel descending the stairs, but her smile was uneasy.

 

“Hey, what brings you guys here so early?”

 

"There was a murder two doors down from our place last night," Zak said. Amy fidgeted nervously at his side.

 

"Really?" Xen asked, raising one eyebrow. "What happened?"

 

"Cause of death is still inconclusive," Zak replied. "Hopefully they’ll have more on the story later in the news." Amy and Zak shared a look before he added, "We’ve heard strange things, like the body looked rotten. As if the person had been decomposing even before he died." 

 

That definitely  _ was  _ strange. If there was any truth to that, it sounded like something worth looking into. Xen pressed to find out what else they knew.

 

"Why do they think it's a murder?"

 

"Well, we just think it is,” Amy said. “Police haven't said one way or another. From what I've heard from people who saw the body, they say it seemed like the work of a mad scientist you'd see in horror movies. Like, some kind of crazy test tube disease!"

 

"Was the guy a scientist?" Xennariel questioned, raising her brow even further. This was starting to sound awfully contrived.

 

"Well, no..." Amy confessed. "He was just some old guy with no family and a bad attitude."

 

"Can't believe everything you hear," Xennariel shrugged. “Maybe it’s just neighbors spreading rumors. Not much happens in this town. I wouldn’t be surprised if people were making this into a bigger thing just to have something to talk about, ya know? Generate excitement in this sleepy town.” 

 

Zak nodded. “Yeah, could be. Guess we’ll have to wait to see the news reports to know for sure.”

 

The friends opened up the cafe, putting the murder out of their minds for the rest of the morning.

 

Loki waltzed into the Blue Rain Cafe that afternoon. When he spotted Xennariel, he grinned and walked over to her.

 

“Hey there, Short Stuff,” he said as he neared.

 

Xennariel whipped around at the jab and glared at him. When he hadn’t shown up that morning to pester her, she’d hoped he’d realized his folly and changed his mind about blackmailing her.

 

Amy spotted him and her mouth hung open, looking from Loki to Xennariel. He was attractive; average height, fair skin, and a lanky build. He was dressed in black pants and a button up white dress shirt with the first two buttons undone and the sleeves rolled up to just below his elbows. His messy, black hair was hanging loose instead of in the short ponytail he wore the previous night. 

 

His violet eyes drew Amy in and she couldn’t believe she had never seen him around before, especially when he clearly seemed to know her friend. She nudged Xennariel to get her attention.

 

“You know this guy?” she whispered, the disbelief evident in her voice. “He’s awfully good looking, why have you never introduced me? How long have you known him? Think he’d be interested? Oh, wait, is he your--”

 

“ _ No _ ,” Xennariel cut off Amy as she shot off questions in rapid succession. “Definitely not. Nothing like that. Just an acquaintance. A very  _ annoying  _ acquaintance. He’s not worth your time, trust me.”

 

“What’s the matter, Blue? Don’t you remember me?”

 

“Oh I remember you, all right. What do you want?”

 

Loki shrugged, taking a seat at a booth next to Xen and Amy. “Just thought I’d drop by and see if all the hype about this place was just talk or not.”

 

Xen glowered, knowing that wasn’t what he was there for at all. 

 

“Oh! It’s not just talk, I promise,” Amy said, smiling sweetly. “How about a coffee or shake on the house?” 

 

“Well that’s nice of you. Thanks. I really could go for a blackberry shake.” 

 

“I’m Amy, by the way,” she said, extending her hand. “Amy Cole.”

 

“Ah, nice to meet you.” He took her hand and shook it once, firmly. “You’re one of Blue’s friends, I take it? Color me surprised. I didn’t think she’d have friends.”

 

He didn’t seem to catch on that Amy was flirting. 

 

“I am.” The disappointment in Amy’s tone was not lost on Xennariel. “Been friends since middle school! Um, anyway, one strawberry shake coming right up!” 

 

Xennariel snickered. Amy might have just met her equal when it came to being oblivious about someone’s intentions. 

 

While Amy was making the milkshake, Xennariel stepped up to Loki’s table and crossed her arms.

 

“So why are you  _ really  _ here?” she muttered so only he could hear. “I don’t do hunting or anything until night. I thought that much was obvious?”

 

Loki leaned back in the booth, looking up at her. Seeing her in this kind of environment suddenly made his nervousness about her seem almost silly. 

 

“Figured I’d show up early to remind you of our deal and that I plan to keep up my end if you keep yours. I would have been here sooner but I was, ah, detained. I’ll be here the rest of the day, so don’t mind me. I’ll be here when you’re ready to… do whatever it is you do. I look forward to working with you.”

 

“I don’t even know if anything worthwhile will show up tonight,” Xennariel hissed through clenched teeth. “You’re a nuisance and you’ll just get in my way.”

 

“I won’t. Believe it or not I can take care of myself in a fight. And I don’t really scare easily. C’mon, it’ll be fun. Stop fretting about it. A deal is a deal. Or would you rather I let everyone here know that you aren’t what you appear to be?”

 

The noise of the cafe that she had been ignoring suddenly came roaring back to life in her ears, making her realize just how crowded the place was. If he said anything, half the town would be talking about it by the next day, whether they believed it or not. She would much rather avoid rumors and talk so she relented. 

 

“Fine. Stay here. Do whatever, I don’t care.”

 

She stomped off through the door to the kitchen and swore she could hear Loki chuckling as she went. 

 

“Unruly customers?”

 

Zak’s voice almost startled her and she turned to him. He wore his usual apron, covered in various different color stains and splotches, a sizzling pan in his hand as he stood sauteing something over the stove. 

 

“Ugh, no. Just some jerk I met yesterday that won’t leave me alone.”

 

“Oh? I could rough him up if he won’t stop hitting on you.”

 

“No, no, not that. He’s not hitting on me or anything, just… ah nevermind. He’s just annoying is all.”

 

“Well, if he’s ever a bigger problem, Amy and I are always here to help.” 

 

Zak smiled and winked at her and Xen suddenly realized how fortunate she was to have met such kind people. Compared the the first year after she woke up in this world, her life was so much easier. Pretending to be just an ordinary person while trying to find her way back home. It was much more bearable, so unlike back then. She shivered as she remembered that first year in this strange world at nine years old with no knowledge of where she was. The things she went through, that horrible man… 

 

Shaking her head to clear her thoughts, she focused on Zak again and nodded.

 

“I know. Thanks.” Xennariel joined Zak in the kitchen proper, glaring out of the cut-out wall into the cafe at Loki who was still sitting at a booth and now drinking a milkshake while reading a book. “Wish he would just leave me alone, though,” she mumbled.

 

A news report on the television hanging in a corner of the cafe caught Xen’s attention. Her brow furrowed, eyes narrowing at the face that came on screen. She hurried back into the cafe, standing behind the bar to get a better vantage point to watch, all the while trying her best not to hurl a glass at the TV as the reporter praised the man they were interviewing.

 

“I’m here with world renowned doctor and scientist, Samuel Nightow,” the reporter said. She was clearly excited to be interviewing the man. “Dr. Nightow, now that you’ve released this latest miracle medicine to the public, what’s next for Nightow Industries?”

 

A bespectacled man with a sandy colored comb over dressed in an immaculate beige suit smiled charmingly at the reporter. 

 

“We’re looking into even better, stronger, and safer pharmaceuticals than what we’ve released so far. A healthier world is what we strive for--” 

 

Without warning, a loud bang erupted near the entrance to the cafe and the television cracked in the center. A bullet was lodged in the screen, smoke drifting out from where it hit. The TV sparked and sputtered, now hanging precariously from its mount on the wall. 

 

“Shit, what the hell?” Xennariel growled, whirling around to the cafe entrance.

 

Blue Rain’s patrons screamed and scrambled under tables or as far away as they could from a middle aged man with a receding hairline that stumbled into the cafe. He carried an unconscious customer under one arm and held a handgun in the other. A crazy look was in his eyes and his mouth was curved in a wide smirk. 

 

Crazy Eyes dropped the man he was holding carelessly, kicking the limp body aside. He wandered away from the door, further into the cafe, cocking the gun and firing at Xennariel. She ducked behind the bar as the bullet whizzed past, shattering the glasses on the shelving behind her. The patrons screamed and shouted, fleeing the building when the gun went off again.

 

Moments later, Xen peeked over the bar, eyes darting around the room. She spotted Loki crouched next to the booth he had been sitting in earlier and when they made eye contact, she rapidly formed a plan. He was the only one left in the cafe that could help her so she hoped he was quick on his feet. Ducking down behind the bar again, she flung open one of the bottom cabinets and grabbed a baseball bat that was hidden there. She popped back up to see that Loki was still looking in her direction and without hesitation, she threw the bat at him. 

 

Loki saw her holding the bat, catching on to her idea even before it flew toward him, and he snatched it from the air, immediately diving at the man with the gun. While the man was distracted with Loki racing toward him, Xennariel grabbed a glass and threw it straight for the gunman's head. It hit and shattered, sharp shards scattering over his head and shoulders. The man turned to her, unfazed even with glass now sticking into his head and blood running down from the cuts. Before he could shoot at her again, Loki brought the bat down with a crack against his skull. He fell to the ground, gun clattering across the floor away from him. 

 

Thinking that was over with, Xen and Loki both breathed a sigh of relief. But it was too soon to relax. Somehow the man was still conscious and he reached for his gun while laying sprawled on the ground. Xennariel leapt over the bar as soon as she saw him move and stepped on his hand, feeling bones crunch under her sneaker. The man cried out in pain, but it rapidly changed to an odd, more subdued moan. 

 

Raising the bat above his head, Loki was ready to knock the gunman out, but the scene before them made him stop and stare wide eyed in disbelief. The balding gunman began moaning louder, writhing and twisting in odd ways. His body began to change, skin falling off as he rotted before their very eyes. 

 

Crinkling her nose, Xennariel quickly lifted her foot off his hand, leaving a trail of goo and puss that stretched grotesquely, connecting the bottom of her shoe to what used to be the gunman's hand. She slipped on it as she stepped back, shoe squeaking loudly on the tile floor. 

 

The gunman-turned-zombie looked like it was trying to stand, but its arm broke under the weight of trying to push itself up and it collapsed on the ground with a sickening thud. It lay still for a moment, as if deliberating what to do next, then rolled onto its back and slowly sat up before coming to an awkward standing position. Its head flopped to the side to look at Xennariel. It shuffled toward her for a second before collapsing again. The creature twitched a few more times and finally lay still in permanent death.

 

Loki dropped the bat he had been gripping and he and Xennariel stared unblinking at the corpse. Slowly, Xen raised her hand to cover her nose and mouth as the stench of decay hit her, though she didn’t feel sick. 

 

The zombie's eyes looked like they had been pleading for her to help him when he walked toward her in his final moments. She would not soon forget the look of anguish in those dead eyes.

 

Amy and Zak came out from the kitchen, both looking rather pale. Amy looked like she was about to puke so Zak spoke.

 

“We called the police. They should hopefully be here soon.” He paused, cringing at the disgusting, oozing lump that had once been a person, and added quietly, “Seems like the story about the dead guy near our place actually had some truth to it.”

 

Xennariel nodded slowly. Amy swallowed and fidgeted. Loki continued to stare blankly.

 

Not being able to hold back anymore, Amy gagged and ran into the kitchen, emptying the contents of her stomach into the sink. Zak ran after her to try to help in any way he could.

 

Alone again, Xennariel and Loki slowly turned to look at each other.

 

“I’ve never dealt with anything quite like this, but things of a similar nature are what I look into and get involved with. You sure you still want to come along for the ride?”

 

Loki said nothing. They both stood there, staring at each other with grim expressions as sirens blared in the distance.

 

\-----

 

When the police arrived, Xennariel, Amy, Zak, and Loki were the only witnesses left on the premises. All the customers had either fled after the second gunshot or passed out and missed everything that happened. Thanks to Loki being there, the police recognized him and, since he had no desire to go back to the station with them, he managed to convinced the police to interview them at the scene. 

 

It was difficult for Amy to repeat what happened, as sick and upset as it made her. The others had little problem, though, and told the story seriously, with as much detail as they could, hoping to get some kind of answers for their cooperation. Unfortunately, it seemed the authorities knew little more than they did. 

 

After the interviews, two people pushed through the crowd of spectators that had formed at the edges of the crime scene tape surrounding the cafe. 

 

“Zak! Amy! Let me through, my son is over there!”

 

A tall, rugged looking man with shaggy brown hair and a neatly trimmed beard shouted at the police that tried to hold him back. A petite Korean woman was at his side, dark hair pulled into a loose bun at the base of her neck. She was much calmer than her husband, but worry still lined her aging face. A little boy was at her side, holding her hand tight and looking around like he was nervous about being there.

 

“Mom, Dad!” Zak jogged over to his parents with Amy right behind him. “We’re okay.”

 

Zak’s parents swept both of them up in a tight group hug as soon as they neared. 

 

“We’re taking you home,” Zak’s mother said, stepping back to look at her eldest son and Amy, checking them over for any wounds. “Let’s go, right now.”

 

Xennariel heard their conversation and when her friends turned to her, she nodded and waved. There was no way they could keep the cafe open any longer that day anyway. 

 

In classic Jesse fashion, he showed up late to the party, just after Zak and Amy left. Confusion was written all over his face. Xennariel had to pull him aside to explain what happened for the second, and hopefully last, time. 

 

“We’re gonna have to close the cafe for repairs,” Jesse groaned when Xennariel finished relaying the story. “What do I tell mom and pops? They’re gonna freak!”

 

“Yeah, we’ll have to close, but probably not longer than a week. Once they’re done cleaning up the, uh, suspect, it’s just a matter of repairing the shelves behind the bar, buying a new TV, and replacing a bunch of glasses. Just tell your parents what happened. I’m sure they’ll understand. No sense in worrying about it. It’s not like it was our fault.”

 

“Yeah, right,” Jesse nodded, taking a deep breath. “You’re right. Okay, well, you seem to have a handle on this. I guess I’ll leave it to you then.”

 

Xennariel gaped at Jesse like he’d just grown another head.

 

“Are you kidding me? No way.”

 

“But it’s so much work and you’re way better at this stuff than I am! I can’t handle this!”

 

“I’m the minor here! You’re friggin’ twenty-two and the actual, legitimate son of the owners.  _ You  _ deal with it. I’ll help, but I’m not doing the work  _ you  _ should be doing anymore. I don’t have time for that crap.”

 

Xennariel stormed off, brushing past Loki as she rounded the building to enter through the side entrance of the house. Jesse and Loki glanced at each other, Jesse clearly looking lost and put-out. Loki shrugged at him and turned to follow Xennariel. They still had a deal and he wasn’t going to let her make excuses to try to break that deal, even if the scenario that afternoon  _ was  _ fairly traumatic. 

 

Loki caught up to her just as she was entering the house and he put his foot in the doorway before she could slam it in his face. He didn’t go through the door, just stood there keeping it ajar, forcing Xennariel to pay attention to him. He might have been a jerk to her since the moment they met, but he wasn’t enough of a jerk to just barge into someone’s house uninvited. Even he realized that was grounds for him getting punched in the face. 

 

“This whole situation changes nothing, you know. I’m still interested in joining you.”

 

Xennariel rubbed her face with her hands and barely managed to hold back a scream.

 

“Really?” She threw her hands up in the air, whisper-shouting in frustration. “Are you serious? You’re crazy! Why? Why would you possibly want to investigate this kind of crap? And with  _ me  _ of all people? You don’t even know me! We just met last night!”

 

“Because you’re not human.” Loki sighed, his voice calm and serious as he gave in, deciding to tell her exactly why he wanted to accompany her on her various investigations. Maybe if he was honest, she’d stop trying to push him away. “You know that world better than anyone else thanks to that, right? Well it all fascinates me. I want to learn more. I want to see what you see. I want to know what’s out there beyond this shitty little backwoods Washington town, beyond the life my father’s laid out for me. I’ve been trapped here my entire life with my future decided at birth. I never thought I’d be free of the monotony of this place, but after meeting you... freedom from the ordinary seems possible. I want that adventure, that mystery. Just… let me have this. Please.”

 

Xennariel and Loki kept eye contact after he finished, silence stretching out between them. Xen waged a war within herself. Was his family really that controlling? Did he have so little life outside of whatever his parents told him to do that he was searching for any way to escape that for a little while, even if it meant throwing himself headfirst into danger? It was insane, but Xennariel could understand it. Being tied down by social convention, by duty. She knew the feeling of loneliness all too well, of being trapped in a cage created by family and fate.

 

Finally, she took a deep breath and sighed, opening the door fully.

 

“Fine,” she said, gesturing into the foyer. “Come in.”


End file.
